ٱلتَّوْبَة : ٤٢

  • لَوۡ If
  • كَانَ it had been
  • عَرَضٗا a gain
  • قَرِيبٗا near
  • وَسَفَرٗا and a journey
  • قَاصِدٗا easy
  • لَّٱتَّبَعُوكَ surely they (would) have followed you
  • وَلَٰكِنۢ but
  • بَعُدَتۡ was long
  • عَلَيۡهِمُ for them
  • ٱلشُّقَّةُۚ the distance
  • وَسَيَحۡلِفُونَ And they will swear
  • بِٱللَّهِ by Allah
  • لَوِ If
  • ٱسۡتَطَعۡنَا we were able
  • لَخَرَجۡنَا certainly we (would) have come forth
  • مَعَكُمۡ with you
  • يُهۡلِكُونَ They destroy
  • أَنفُسَهُمۡ their own selves
  • وَٱللَّهُ and Allah
  • يَعۡلَمُ knows
  • إِنَّهُمۡ (that) indeed they
  • لَكَٰذِبُونَ (are) surely liars
Had it been a near [i.e., easy] gain and a moderate trip, they [i.e., the hypocrites] would have followed you, but distant to them was the journey. And they will swear by Allāh,1 "If we were able, we would have gone forth with you," destroying themselves [through false oaths], and Allāh knows that indeed they are liars.
Footnotes
1 - When you return from the Tabūk expedition.
The following was revealed regarding the hypocrites who stayed behind [away from the campaign]: Had it - that to which you summon them - been a near, easily acquired, gain, a transient pleasure of this world, and an easy journey, of moderate [length], they would have followed you, seeking spoils; but the distance, the hardship, was too great for them, and so they stayed behind. Still they will swear by God, when you return to them: [saying]: 'Had we been able, to go forth, we would have gone forth with you,' destroying their souls, by swearing false oaths, and God knows that they truly are liars, in this saying of theirs.